BeesHIVE

On the right track...

2009-01-08T15:53:00.000-08:00

So far so good! It's been 8 days of the new year and I haven't quit what I set out to do for myself. I started running again and I finally went to an early morning spin class at the gym that I have been saying I would go to with a friend for months. I have started running with Sierra Challenge Express on Saturday mornings and doing it on my own or with friends on Sun, Mon and Wed. Spin class is Tues/Thurs and I made it both this week! Now all I need to do is start the weight training back up which is my absolute favorite type of workout. There is something about lifting free weights and seeing yourself get really strong. It's very empowering. I am very excited…I have even been going on walks (twice daily) with the dogs. They are LOVING it!

I have also made plans to go snowshoe-ing in 2 weeks in the Shaver Lake area. I have never tried it before, but it sounds like it will be a lot of fun. I am really looking forward to these upcoming months…I have a really good feeling about them. What is also good about all this exercise I have been getting is that I am too tired and busy to think about negative things :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2008-12-31T15:14:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful 2009! I have a feeling this is going to be a good year for me. I know this because I am going to make it happen. This is my last chance to make this decade (2000-2009) not be a blurb in my life. I don't want to look back when I am older and think this decade was a unmemorable one. This year will be full of happiness and good experiences. I can not believe how fast all of this has gone by and I feel I don't have much to show for it. Of course I am thankful for many things in my life. I have my health, a good job, a place to live, supportive family, and a handful of good friends.

I make New Year's Resolutions every year and they only last about a month, that is pretty pathetic! This year will be different, it has to be because I am tired of failing myself. It is always easy to blame something else like work or I am too tired, but it has to stop and it will stop today. NO MORE EXCUSES! I am way to young to not be enjoying everyday to the fullest! This year I will do things that I have always wanted to do but never found the time to do them. Even if this means to stay in better touch with old friends, take more weekend trips, exercise more...the list is endless. This year I will be a better person to myself!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2008-12-23T15:35:00.000-08:00

DARKNESS=BAD DRIVING?

2008-11-05T14:03:00.000-08:00

Daylight Savings came to an end on Sunday. I have been noticing over the years of commuting home from work, that a lot of people don't seem capable of driving at night. It's pretty scary! Here is what I have observed. I get off of work at the same time every single day Mon-Fri. Traffic flows smoothly (for the most part) when Daylight Savings is around. The very first work day after (Monday), traffic jams everywhere! The only difference: it was dark because of the 1-hour fall back. Do most of these Mon-Fri commuters never go anywhere other than work which never forces them to drive at night unless Daylight Savings has ended?! I dread this time of year not only because it's dark when I get off of work, but people drive like complete morons all winter long! And I am not even factoring in rain or bad weather…that's a whole different story.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2008-10-31T15:00:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! I am a little bummed that Halloween snuck up on me like this and a Friday!!! I have no plans other than having a couple of friends over to watch scary movies and have some drinks. I should be out causing havoc tonight instead :(

Oh well...next year! Have a great one!!

Fresno Marathon

2008-10-21T13:09:00.000-07:00

Only 3 more weeks until the Fresno Marathon. I have been training for this for the last 26-27 weeks and I am ready for it to be OVER! This last Saturday was the peak of my training. I ran 20 miles, and I was sick! It was very difficult and every part of my body hurt like hell!

I have a goal to finish the marathon in 4 hours and 3o minutes. This will shave off about 30 minutes from the last one (1st) I ran in June 2007. I am starting to get nervous and excited about it. My training was going very well until I hurt my groin in the gym about 4 weeks ago. I am going to stay positive and just do my best.

This Sunday I have a half marathon in Folsom, CA as part of my training. I usually get really competitive with myself and push myself to run faster than I would normally. I guess this is normal since it is a race...but I really hope I can take it slow and finish without putting more stress on my groin.

Canine Good Citizen

2008-06-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

Bonsai and Grant have both passed the Canine Good Citizen test! Almost comical since the both tend to misbehave so much. It's funny because they both (especially Bonsai) know how to put their game face on when it counts. They are almost like different dogs when they are in testing mode. This is the first step for me to be able to volunteer with them.

Weekend Cat Blogging

2008-06-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

Even kitty cats have a hard time finding something that fits in the morning...

Escape from Alcatraz

2008-06-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

...not really, just from my backyard. Bonsai once again has caused me heart ache and grief. I learned a few months ago that Bonsai has been scaling the 6' fence into my neighbor's yard. I placed a 3" PVC pipe what I slit open lengthwise on top of the boards that he was scaling over. It created a very slippery, rounded surface so he couldn't grip with his front paws. I thought the problem was solved. My neighbor just told me he has still been doing it for weeks. The PVC pipe is no longer working. I have personally witnessed him scale the fence with the pipe in place. This time it came with some consequences. My neighbor has some t-posts in her yard next to the fence. Bonsai got caught on the post on his way down and ripped his side open in 2 spots.

I guess it's back to the drawing board to find ways to keep him contained...

LEAN CUISINE?

2008-05-14T16:39:00.000-07:00

They actually expect people to survive on this? I wouldn't even consider this a snack! And look at it...not even close to the picture on the box. I guess if they actually showed what it look like, no one in their right mind would buy it. At least it doesn't taste too bad...but at a 180 calories, I am still hungry. I have been trying these Lean Cuisines at lunch time because I have gone way overboard with the eating lately and gained some weight. Though I have to supplement them with something else otherwise I would be one cranky bitch!

BTW...I really suck at this blogging thing. I haven't blogged since February (and a shitty post to boot!)

GOOD GRIEF!

2008-02-28T09:09:00.000-08:00

I was eating lunch in the food court where I work (food court is open to
the public) anda man approached me and I think he was trying to hit on
me. He was staringat out table for maybe 5-10 minutes then he walked
up to me and asked me to read his fortune from his cookie. He said he
was blind. I was already in a really bad mood so I wasn't in the mood
for some older ugly man to approach me and use a really stupid ass
pick-up line. Now if he was a hot guy, I would be singing a different tune
here...so I read his fortune cookie without looking at him and handed right
back and ignored him. What I wanted to say to him was that his fortune
cookie read, "F OFF!"

I know that sounds really nasty and mean, but this guy really pissed me
off. Why is it that I only get these really ugly, way too old for me men that approach me?!? Don't get me wrong, I DO NOT think I am some beauty queen (not even close), but COME ON!! My friend tried to comfort me and tell me that it was at least better than not being approached at all...I don't think so. I know I shouldn't be looking at it in thisway, but I find it very insulting that these men think I would be attracted
to them...what does that say about the way I look? I know it's not all about looks, but at first that's all you see. A few years ago I was taking a golf class and I was waiting in line to hit some balls at the driving range and I was making small talk with the guy behind me in line (about work I found out he was also a civil engineer). After a few words
out my mouth, he interrupts me and says, "I am already married." WTF? And the shitter, he was even uglier than the guy in the food court! I think about that every once
in a while and to this day it still gets my goat!

MY DOG IS INSANE!

2008-02-13T09:16:00.001-08:00

This last weekend, I learned something new about my dog Bonsai.
He hates when you spin around in circles. My nephew and I held hands
and were spinning around in circles just playing around. Out of nowhere
Bonsai comes hauling ass at us and broke through our linked arms and
jumped on me and almost knocked me flat on my ass. I have added it to
the list of things I can't do in his presence...or have to restrain him
when others are doing these things:

1.) Swinging
2.) Piggy back rides
3.) Jump roping
4.) Swimming
5.) Tossing babies/kids in the air
6.) Horseplay of any kind
and now....
7.) Spinning

I am not sure what he is capable of doing when he catches you
doing any of the listed items above, but I do know he can go
ape-shit. He did nip at my friend's shirt when he was jump roping
and ripped a nice size whole in it and knocked my poor niece off
a swing once. What a freak.

California Dog

2008-02-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

It's a beautiful winter Sunday morning in February but the sun is shining, it's nice and warm, and my dog is eating an orange...can it get any better?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-01-08T13:47:00.001-08:00

Wow...2008. This year I promised myself no New Year's resolutions. It actually felt really good. Of course there are tons of things I need to work on...I wish I was perfect. Most of it is the same boring crap, lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier, be nicer to people...the list is always endless. My most important goal this year and I just now decided on it. I need to take my Professional Engineering Exam more seriously and make a strong effort to pass it...at least the Seismic portion of it. I am getting really pissed off at work knowing that there are a bunch of lazy ass idiots at work getting paid more than I am because they are licensed engineers. The exam consists of an 8 hour exam, 1/2 of it covers most of civil engineering topics and other ½ you pick a specialty topic of your choice. All 50 states have the same exam. California (I think Alaska as well) have 2 additional exams, Seismic and Surveying.I have been so reluctant to study for this exam. I will think of a million things that I would rather do then to study. It's been almost a decade since I have been out of school, so the subject matter almost seems foreign to me. Luckily I have passed the Survey potion...just 2 more to go!

ANONYMOUS BLOGGING

2007-12-11T22:15:00.000-08:00

I sometimes wish I had started this blog as an anonymous blog. There are a lot of times where I just want to write about things that really piss me off, but I don't want to get myself in trouble or hurt someone's feelings. I would probably b blogging every hour! I have a lot of shit to talk about and a lot of shitty people to talk about. For example I am having a really crappy time at work and would love to vent here. Even if I had an anonymous blog, I am not sure if I could get away with it considering a few people use my laptop. It would be way too much work for me t always delete my Internet history so no one would ever find my blog. I also thought of creating a new one and only accessing it from the public library down the street from me, but again...seems like too much work. I know this all goes against my trying not to be such a lazy ass...

Who knows, I am sure someday I will get the balls to say F it and blog away...

Back in Business

2007-12-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

At least I hope I am. I am so ashamed of myself that I have wasted so much time. Just when I felt like I was getting all my stuff in order...then out of nowhere this huge cloud comes rolling in. What is that all about?! I know it's just in my head and I have to just deal with things. The number 1 thing I want to tackle is my laziness. If I could stay at home and sit on my butt in front of the TV and do nothing else for a few weeks, I probably would do it. At least I feel like that right now. That's why I am so proud of myself for waking up early to go for a jog with some friends. We did 5.5 miles this morning! I almost decided not to go since I have a ton of work to do today. I have some friends coming over for a holiday dinner.

I went shopping last night thinking I could find a fresh turkey at Costco (they told me they would have an shipment coming in that day). They had none! I started to panic and I thought I would do some Cornish game hens...none. I finally decided to buy 2 small frozen turkeys from the grocery store and thaw them in cold water. This works really well, but you have to change the water every 1/2 hour for food safety reasons. I am glad I didn't buy a 20 pounder because it would have taken me all night to thaw out. The two little ones went pretty fast. But, what an ordeal! I will roast one in the oven and smoke the other outside. Which reminds me I better get outside and start up my coals....here is a picture of me last year smoking a turkey:

GOODBYE AUTUMN

2007-12-03T14:07:00.001-08:00

What the hell have I been doing? My last post was for a farewell to
summer? Winter will be here in 3 weeks! Absolutely pathetic on my
part...I must have been hit and the head and knocked unconscious
for a few months. I really do feel like it. Things have been absolutely
crazy. Last thing I remembered was sweating in the hot summer sun
and I suddenly wake up freezing my ass off and it's December 3rd!

GOODBYE SUMMER

2007-09-23T23:01:00.000-07:00

Hello Autumn! My absolute favorite time of the year. Don't get me wrong, summer is also fabulous! Summer 2007 brought a lot of adventures for me, just to name the first 3 that come to mind...
1. Ran my first marathon
2. Went on my first cruise
3. Climbed Half Dome at night under the full moon

Unfortunately I have fallen so far behind in my blogging, I haven't been able to share any of my summer time adventures with my blog friends (if I still have any). I guess I will have to start blogging like mad to catch up and share some pics...I will start with what I did this last Friday.

As you may know, I am a huge Charles Schulz fan. I drove to Santa Rosa, CA to see the Joe Cool statues on parade. There were 94 Joe Cools that were sponsored by individuals or companies and each had an artist commissioned to design each one differently. Some were auctioned off and most were purchased by the sponsors. Joe Cool on parade was the last in a series of 3 parades honoring the late Charles Schulz.

Superior Accomplishment Award

2007-07-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

They give out awards every year…and this year, I received my second one. I am excited about getting the money ($150 before taxes), but these awards have lost their prestige. Over the 9 years, I have seen one too many awards be handed out that probably should not have been. Yes, my first one is included in this group. Also, there are many others that have not received one, but genuinely deserve one. Though I have worked hard these last few years and am proud of myself for getting this one Anyways, here is a picture of me and my plaque.

Happy 4th of July?!?

2007-07-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

Not for my dogs. It was definitely not a good day for Bonsai. I love this time of year, you have the hot summer days, BBQ, swimming in the pool....and fireworks! My dogs go nuts when they hear loud noises, especially fireworks. I will bring them inside the house on these days and take them with me wherever I go to watch the firework show. One year I was a little slow on bringing the dogs in and poor Granite got so scared he chewed a hole in the fence with lighting speed and escaped. Luckily after an hour or so of walking through the neighborhood calling out for him and squeaking his favorite squeak toy...I found him hiding under a car. Now I have learned my lesson. I thought he would be OK since it was still very early and the sun was still out. I guess people will light those things off at any time of day.

Well, this year I decided that I would leave the dogs at home in my bedroom for the night. I just wanted to have an evening out without having to deal with 2 dogs in tow. I crated Granite up and left Bonsai in my bedroom. When I got home everything seemed to be OK until I went in the bathroom. Bonsai had gone ape shit in there! He ripped the hanging mirror off the wall (which he had to jump on my bathroom counter to get to), knocked over my jewelry box, perfume bottles, several plants including a very prickly cactus and just about everything that was on the counter. It looked like a mini tornado had passed through. Luckily nothing was broken, not even the mirror. I have no idea how he managed not to break it. I wish I had taken a picture of the mess. This was a total surprise to me, Bonsai is almost 7 years old an has never done anything like this before. Now I have learned another lesson...

5 HOURS 1 MINUTE 32 SECONDS

2007-06-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

It's finally over...and it took me
5 hours, 1 minute and 32 seconds to do it!

Feeling on top of the world at mile 14.

Half dead, I sprinted ...at least I thought I was sprinting the last stretch to the finish line!

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THAT SUPPORTED ME! I WAS ABLE TO RAISE OVER $5000 FOR THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY!!!!

Summer Time?

2007-06-05T22:45:00.001-07:00

I know it's not here yet...but it must be close because the watermelons are here!

What Happened?!?

2007-05-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

I have no idea what is going on with me! I gave my self the OK not to have to do my Travel Tuesdays (not that I don't like it, but it is a lot of work!) not the OK not to blog anymore! I am probably the laziest person in the world right now :( I think I get into these slumps that I feel like I can't get out of it. Kind of like the library book that is WAY overdue and I have no clue where the hell the stupid book is! I don't even read, so why the F do I keep checking books out and paying overdue fines on them? Anyway, I have kept ignoring the problem...kind of like my blog. It becomes a task that feels like is getting out of control and I will put it off as long as I can...pretty stupid huh?

Then to my surprise, I was nominated a Thinking Blogger Award by my blog friend over at Kross-Eyed Kitty! I too will participate in nominating my favorite blogs that get me thinking....as soon as I find that damn library book!

What Did Wii Get Ourselves Into?

2007-04-25T14:12:00.001-07:00

My sister and I bought a Nintendo Wii last Friday and Wii are all very
sore! I just happened to stop at a Costco that I rarely shop at while
traveling to visit my mom for the weekend. I was very excited when I
saw it sitting there on an almost empty pallet near the cash registers.
The thing was almost calling out my name...

I finally opened it up on Sunday when I got back home and
immediately jumped right into playing the tennis game and boxing.
They even have training and testing modes. I tested my Wii age
and I somewhat embarrassed to say...I am 60 years old! The games
are a lot of fun...so much fun you get into it a little bit too much. I
was really sore the next day, but it definitely didn't stop me from
playing again the next night. I hear about all these injuries from
playing the Wii. I can easily see myself doing something stupid
and getting really hurt. The funny thing is...it makes it that
much more fun! I played about 15 games of tennis against my
friend Mike which I lost the majority of them (Mike if you are
reading this...IT'S ON THIS WiiKEND!). When I used to play
tennis in school, I had a really bad temper, so I didn't take the
losing like lady if you know what I mean. I can't wait to have
a boxing bout with someone soon...

Stale Post

2007-04-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

I have decided to take a break from Travel Tuesdays. Even though my Travel Tuesday's aren't much to read, it's a lot of work! Then I feel bad that I don't write about anything else, as you may have noticed my last post was a week ago! The reason I don't post is that I want to leave my post up long enough because it was so much work. I don't understand how people have the energy and creative thought to post something fabulous everyday...amazing.